Thanksgiving Day Runs

The IHR Thanksgiving Day Run 2017. Photo by Matt Fillipps.

Graph from Running USA: https://www.runningusa.org/RUSA/News/2019/Thanksgiving-Still-the-Most-Popular-Day-for-a-Race--According-to-Running-USA.aspx.

For most people in the United States, Thanksgiving is a day filled with family, football, and food. But for over one million Americans, the day starts a bit differently. Oh, the good old Turkey Trot!

According to Runner’s World, the origins of the Thanksgiving Day Race, commonly called a Turkey Trot, dates back to 1896 when the Buffalo YMCA held an 8-mile run for six participants. While only four of them crossed the finish line, that race began a streak of what is now the longest continually run race in the country. It has the Boston Marathon, which began in 1897, beat by one year.

From that first Buffalo Turkey Trot, the idea of Thanksgiving Day runs made its way down the east coast and then started spreading across the country. Some notable additions were in Cincinnati in 1909, the Manchester Road Race in 1927, and the Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot in 1967.

The real boom for Turkey Trots coincided with the running boom in 2012. Not only did the number of Thanksgiving Day races surpass 1,000, but the number of participants grew exponentially. From 2012 to 2015, Turkey Trot participation grew over 30%. In 2018, Running USA calculated over 1.17 million Turkey Trotters! I guess people really love getting in some good exercise before a day of family and feasting.

While in-person Turkey Trots are out of the question for us this year, that doesn’t mean you can’t complete your own virtually. There are three locally-produced Turkey Trots that have all moved virtual. The one I’ve participated in since childhood is put on in Iroquois Park by the Iroquois Hill Runners. This 5-mile run/walk isn’t easy, as you run up to the top of Iroquois Park and back down, but it’s a community staple. You can find out more or sign up for that one here. The other Louisville run/walk is put on by the YMCA, and you can find out more about this virtual four-mile race here. And for our Southern Indiana friends, you can sign up and participate in the 32nd Annual Fast Freddie's Festive Five-Mile Foot Feast by signing up here.